Coach's Corner: Joe Wickline on Brady Bond

LaShana Marshburn

08/17/2010

The Chargers love offensive linemen with versatility and grit. Rookie OL Brady Bond has both those traits in abundance and is showcasing them as much as possible as he fights to sustain his pro career. For more on the Oklahoma State product, we talk with Cowboys offensive line coach Joe Wickline.

For a scouting report on Bond by the publisher of Go Pokes magazine, click here.

Brady Bond was a standout right tackle at Oklahoma State, helping the Cowboys lead the Big 12 in rushing in each of his four years as a starter. He also developed nicely as a pass blocker, providing a reliable bookend to stalwart Russell Okung.

The Chargers have moved Bond inside to guard, where he is getting more snaps thanks to the retirement of Corey Clark and the temporary move of Tyronne Green to left tackle. To see if Bond's stay in San Diego might be more than temporary, we check in with Oklahoma State offensive line coach Joe Wickline.

LaShana Marshburn: What stands out from your time coaching Brady?

Joe Wickline: Brady came during what I call a transition year with Coach Les Miles (who left for LSU in 2005). He had committed and he stayed committed. He used to play eight-man football in Garber, Okla., which was very unique. He came in and made a transition. He was 6-foot-7 and about 255 lbs. when he first got here. He red-shirted his freshman season and our strength and conditioning coaches got him up to 285 lbs. He started to help us out his second season and did a nice job the next four years. He was off and on early in his career, but he ended up holding it down.

LM: Most scouts agree that 2009 was his best season. What was your take on his senior performance?

JW: He did a great job. He didn't do a lot wrong as far as off-sides pass blocks; he didn't give up a lot of sacks; and he held the job down. He was just really steady, consistent and reliable. As the season went on, a lot of scouts came through and liked his height and the length of his arms, in addition to the fact that he had played in the Big 12 for four years. Plus, he was a tall kid who could really run well.

LM: Which of Brady's attributes impressed the scouts the most?

JW: He's long and tall. He has long arms and good enough athleticism. He's really lean. The big thing is his pass protection. He wasn't a strong pass protector earlier in his career, having come from a small school, but he got thicker; his mobility and physicality and build really allowed him to become a good pass blocker. His run blocking still needs some work and he'll get better at that this year. He will keep getting better, just like he did with his pass blocking.

LM: What specifically does he need to do to improve his run blocking?

JW: The biggest thing we try to stress is becoming a more dominant run blocker. He did that. He got better and it showed on film. His effort got better at run blocking. We did a real good job running the football here and his strength and his progress were a big part of that. He continued to get better, but he still needs to sharpen up that area.

LM: OSU led the Big 12 in rushing four years in a row, so his run blocking must be fairly effective already.

JW: No question. The biggest thing was we were always balanced. That balance is what helped us run the ball. It made it easier to win time of possession and put pressure on opposing defenses in a big way.

Can Bond be a better player than Corey Clark? Discuss in the message boards.